NSW Belmont Local Court List Today

The Daily Law List for Lake Macquarie

Belmont Local Court sits at 530 Pacific Highway, Belmont NSW 2280, on the eastern shore of Lake Macquarie and around 20 kilometres south-west of the Newcastle central business district. Each sitting day the court publishes a daily law list that sets out who is due to appear, the courtroom, and the scheduled time. This page brings that Belmont Local Court list together in one place so defendants, solicitors, witnesses, and support people can check listings for criminal, traffic, civil, and domestic violence matters without contacting the registry. Listings generally cover a window of up to three weeks ahead and one week in the past, and you can search by name, case number, or date.

About Belmont Local Court

Belmont Local Court serves one of the larger regional catchments in New South Wales. The court falls within the City of Lake Macquarie, a local government area with a population of 213,845 and a median age of 42 according to the 2021 Census. The suburb of Belmont itself recorded a population of 7,289 in 2021. Residents from Belmont, Belmont North, Belmont South, Swansea, Warners Bay, Charlestown, and the surrounding lakeside suburbs commonly have their matters listed here, which keeps the daily list active across the working week.

Where Belmont Local Court is located

The Belmont Court House stands on the corner of the Pacific Highway and Macquarie Street, close to the Belmont shopping precinct. Belmont is about 136 kilometres north-north-east of Sydney and roughly a 90 minute drive along the M1 Pacific Motorway. The nearest rail option is Booragul Station on the Central Coast and Newcastle line, and Newcastle Transport bus routes connect the courthouse with Charlestown and central Newcastle. The land is the traditional country of the Awabakal people.

History of the Belmont Court House

The court began as the Belmont Court of Petty Sessions in 1936. When the Local Courts Act reformed the lower court system in New South Wales, the Courts of Petty Sessions were abolished and replaced by Local Courts, and Belmont was reconstituted as a Local Court. The courthouse has operated as a fixture of the justice system in the Hunter Region for close to nine decades, hearing the summary matters that make up the vast majority of criminal cases in the state.

What Belmont Local Court Handles

The Local Court is the entry point for almost every criminal and civil matter in New South Wales. It deals with summary offences in full and conducts the early stages of more serious indictable matters before they are committed to the District or Supreme Court. The Belmont list therefore reflects a broad mix of matter types on any given day.

Criminal and traffic matters

Common criminal and traffic listings at Belmont include drink driving and drug driving, driving while suspended or disqualified, speeding and other traffic infringements that are elected for court, common assault, affray, larceny and shoplifting, break and enter, drug possession and supply, and bail applications. Traffic and vehicle regulatory offences remain the single largest category of finalised matters across the state, so they feature heavily on regional lists such as Belmont.

Civil claims and jurisdiction limits

The Local Court also decides civil disputes. The Small Claims Division hears claims up to $20,000, and the General Division hears claims from $20,001 up to $100,000. Typical civil listings involve unpaid debts, contract disputes, consumer claims, and property damage. Matters above the $100,000 threshold are dealt with in the District Court rather than the Local Court.

Apprehended Violence Orders and domestic matters

Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders and Apprehended Personal Violence Orders are a significant part of the Local Court workload. Domestic violence related matters have been the fastest growing category in recent years, rising 13.3 per cent in the most recent reporting period and now accounting for more than one in four finalisations across the Local Court. These matters are often listed for mention first while the parties consider the terms of any order.

Serious charges do not stay at Belmont for long. Once a matter is committed for trial or sentence, it moves to the District Court, and for the Hunter that means the Newcastle District Court. Appeals against a Local Court conviction or sentence are also heard there. If a person dies in circumstances that must be reported, the matter is dealt with by the Newcastle Coroners Court rather than through the ordinary Belmont list.

Belmont Local Court by the Numbers

The following figures come from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research and place the Belmont list in a statewide context. They show why the Local Court is the workhorse of the justice system in New South Wales.

• In 2025, NSW criminal courts finalised 156,256 court appearances, an increase of 8.3 per cent on 2024.
• Local Court finalisations rose 9.1 per cent, from 134,735 in 2024 to 146,977 in 2025.
• The Local Court accounts for about 94 per cent of all criminal court finalisations in the state.
• Across the 12 months to June 2025, 151,113 defendants had a finalised court appearance, and 86 per cent had at least one proven charge.
• Around 8 per cent of appearances were withdrawn by the prosecution.
• 9.3 per cent of defendants were bail refused at the time their matter was finalised, up from 8.3 per cent the year before.
• The busiest guilty finding categories were traffic and vehicle offences (45,371), offences against justice procedures and orders (17,180), acts intended to cause harm (10,132), drug offences (9,796), and theft (9,323).
• The median time to finalise a defended hearing in the Local Court reached 296 days from arrest, compared with 198 days before the pandemic.

How to Read the Belmont Local Court List

A daily law list can look dense if you are not familiar with the format. Each entry usually shows the party name, the courtroom, and the listing time. Names are often partially masked for privacy on published lists. The listing type tells you what will actually happen on the day, which matters because a mention is very different from a defended hearing.

Mention

A short administrative appearance where the court checks on the progress of a matter. Pleas are entered, dates are set, and the magistrate gives directions. Many first appearances are listed as mentions.

Hearing or defended hearing

A contested listing where evidence is called and witnesses may give testimony. These take longer and are set down on a specific date once the issues are known.

Sentence

Listed after a plea or finding of guilt, so the magistrate can consider submissions and impose a penalty.

Callover and adjournment

A callover organises a group of matters and allocates hearing dates. An adjournment simply moves a matter to a later date.

Visiting Belmont Court House

If your matter is on the Belmont list, arrive early, dress neatly, and allow time to find your courtroom and speak with a duty solicitor if you need one. Turn phones to silent inside the court and let registry staff know if you need an interpreter or other assistance.

Belmont is not the only Lake Macquarie option. Matters are sometimes listed at the nearby Toronto Local Court on the western side of the lake, so check both towns if you are unsure where you are due. For the wider region, the Newcastle court list today covers the city's busier criminal and traffic sittings. Confirm the town on your notice before you travel, because the courthouses are a fair drive apart.

Registry hours and contact details

• Address: 530 Pacific Highway, Belmont NSW 2280
• Postal address: PO Box 42, Belmont NSW 2280
• Phone: 1300 679 272
• Registry hours: 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Monday to Friday
• Telephone hours: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm

Getting there and parking

The courthouse is a short walk from the Belmont shopping area, where cafes and additional parking are available. Street parking near the court is limited, so give yourself extra time. Buses connect Belmont with Charlestown and Newcastle, and Booragul Station is the closest rail stop for those travelling from the Central Coast or Sydney.

Accessibility and audio visual links

Belmont Court House is equipped with Audio Visual Link facilities, which allow some appearances, evidence, and custody matters to be conducted remotely. If you think your matter may be suitable for an appearance by AVL, contact the registry in advance to confirm the arrangements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Belmont Local Court list updated regularly?

Yes. The daily law list changes as matters are added, adjourned, or finalised. Always confirm the courtroom and time on the day, because details can shift at short notice.

What time does Belmont Local Court start?

Proceedings generally commence at 9:30 am. Your individual matter may be called at any point during the session, so plan to be present from the start.

What should I do if my name is not on the list?

If you cannot find your matter, check the spelling and the date, then contact the registry on 1300 679 272 to confirm your listing before attending.

Do I need a lawyer to appear at Belmont Local Court?

You can represent yourself, but many people seek advice first. A duty solicitor may be available at court for urgent assistance, and Legal Aid NSW and community legal centres can help with eligibility and options.

Can I appear by audio visual link?

Some matters can be heard by AVL. The court decides whether a remote appearance is appropriate, so ask the registry ahead of your listing date.

What is the difference between a mention and a hearing?

A mention is a brief administrative appearance to set directions and dates. A hearing is a contested listing where evidence is presented and the matter is decided.